LIVE FC Argeș – Gloria Bistrița, in the “quarters” of the Romanian Cup Betano » Teams

• The winner of this match will meet in the penultimate act, on home ground, on U Cluj, which went past Hermannstadt, 2-1.
• Universitatea Craiova – CFR Cluj (today, 20:30) and Dinamo – Metalul Buzău (tomorrow, 20:00) are the “quarters” on the other side of the table

FC Argeș – Gloria Bistrița, live from 17:30

FC Argeș – Gloria Bistrița, starting teams:

FC Arges: Cabuz – Borța, Garutti, Sadriu, Oancea – Y. Pîrvu, Rață, Blagaic, Rădescu – Brobbey, R. Moldoveanu
Reserves: Crăciun, Briceag, Bettaieb, Idowu, Matos, Sierra, Seto, Tofan, M. Tudose
Coach: Bogdan Andone

Gloria Bistrita: Greab – S. Pîrvulescu, Burdet, Vișinar, Sofroni – Cavar, Chindriș – Tavares, Leharie, Mensah – King
Reserves: Oluwarde, Campan, Chiorean, Maapia, Manolache, Osikmashvili, Iurașciuc, R. Avram, Al. Mogoş
Coach: Nicholas Grigore

Referee: Andrei Moroiță (Ploiesti) / A1: Andrei Constantinescu (Bucharest) / A2: Claudiu Șchiopeț (Brașov) / VAR referee: Iulian Dima (Bucharest) / AVAR Referee: Stelian Slabu (Brașov) / R1: Iuliana Elena Demetrescu (Râmnicu Vâlcea) / Observer referees: Adrian Vidan (Bucharest) / Game delegate: Dragoș Ionescu (Bucharest)
Stadium: Townspeople, Mioveni

• If they advance in the ace box, FC Argeș would equal their performance from 2022, when the “purple eagles” reached the semifinals, where they lost to FC Voluntari. All-time, the people from Pitesti contested a final, lost in 1965 in front of U Cluj (then Știința Cluj), when the team was still called Dinamo Pitesti.

• Bistrita's model team includes two players who played at FC Argeș, goalkeeper Greab and forward Mensah. The 33-year-old goalkeeper clinched the play-off with the Pitesti in 2022, while Ghanaian Emmanuel Mensah, 21, put his shoulder to promotion last year.

• 16 is the place occupied by Gloria Bistrita in League 2, with 20 points accumulated in 19 stages.

• The late Gloria Bistrița, disbanded in 2015, has a Cup in its record, won in 1994 against the University of Craiova. In '96, the Bistrites played another final, losing to Stella.

Freshly qualified for the Superliga play-offs, where they are on a roll, the people from Pitesti also attack the other objective of the season, the Cup, where they aimed to reach the final.

Victorious in the group that also included CFR Cluj and Rapid, the white-violets receive the visit of a surprise, the second division Gloria Bistrița, who upset all the calculations in the “fire” group with Craiova, FCSB, UTA, Petrolul and Sănătatea Cluj. The “descendant” of Tata Jean's Gloria has “sneaked” to the quarter-finals and is aiming for a new surprise, encouraged by the 2024 model of the Corvin.

Gloria took the step to the “quarters” after beating UTA in the last group match (1-0). Two victories were enough for the Bistrites to achieve the most important performance since the establishment of the section (2018).

With the first chance today, FC Argeș is going to manage several starters, in the context in which, on Sunday, it will receive the visit of Unirii Slobozia, in the last round of the regular season.

Bogdan Andone urges caution: “It is not a problem to underestimate the opponent”

Bogdan Andone, the technician of FC Argeș, confessed, in the press conference preceding the duel in the Cup, that he approaches the clash against Gloria Bistrița with the utmost caution, despite the obvious value difference:

“It's a different competition, very soon after the game on Sunday night (No. 1-0 with Dinamo). We need to be careful, focused and inspired in picking players who are physically fit. It will be extremely important to have energy and intensity, to set the pace.

I don't dream of any finals! I only dream of winning and qualifying. I'm not interested in the score, I'm not interested in the show, I'm only interested in moving on,” said Andone, according to arges-sport.ro.

“They came out of a difficult group, won a decisive match against UTA, lost badly against FCSB. There is no question of underestimating the opponent. We are ready for 90 minutes, but also for 120 if needed”, added Bogdan Andone, when asked about the level of tonight's opponent.

The coach of Pitesti gave assurances that the entire team will benefit from chances and that no part of the team is guaranteed the starting position:

“There is no starter, there is no reserve. There are players who play according to the characteristics of the match and their physical and mental level. Dorinel (No. Oancea) is the best example. He played very good matches, he was in the team of the stage, but for another game we thought we needed something else. Tomorrow those who are the most prepared will play”.

It would mean something enormous for us and for the city, for the people of Pitesti (no qualification). It's great to play a Cup semi-final. Why not, maybe even a final!

– Dorinel Oancea, FC Argeș defender, according to the cited source

It's just one game. There is no rematch. We have to be focused from the first minute. They will probably adopt a defensive, counter-attacking style. It is difficult for any team when the opponent is very well organized. We have to be patient with the ball and pay attention to their transitions.

– Jakov Blagaic, FC Argeș midfielder

Nicolae Grigore, coach Gloria Bistrița: “We meet the team of the moment in Romanian football”

This is how Nicolae Grigore, the coach of the Bistrites, prefaced the game:

“We are facing an important match for us, I think I am not wrong if I say that we are meeting the team of the moment in Romanian football. I saw the match between Argeș and Dinamo, which confirmed their qualification for the play-offs, an admirable performance from my point of view. We are, however, talking about a newly promoted team.

Those who took care of it, Dani Coman together with Bogdan Andone, achieved some fantastic things there. I know them very well, I know how they work and what they do, it's a team that deserves everything that happens to it. They knew how to manage many moments this season, when to step in, when to let things go, when to apply pressure and they deserve congratulations.

It is a decisive match, there must be a winner, it cannot end in a draw, it can only go to extra time with such a result. I have every confidence that we can have a good match and repeat the past matches. I met all the teams that were fighting for the play-offs: FCSB, UTA, now FC Argeș. We'll take our chances.

Gloria Bistrița is one of the two surprise appearances in the quarterfinals of the Romanian Betano Cup

We know that we are leaving with a second chance, it is normal, we meet a team from the first league play-off, but I am convinced that we have our arguments and assets to make a good match and I have full conviction that we will qualify.

Gloria Bistrița is currently a team under construction, a team that is being formed and I think it only has something to gain by being among the top eight teams in the second competition in Romania. It should be a pride and at the same time a motivation to win”, Nicolae Grigore pointed out, according to the local publication Timp Online.

I spent three years in Pitesti and honestly, I think it was the peak of my career there. I felt appreciated, and now I keep in touch with many people there. We are in a good moment, we have positive results and I think we can make a surprise, even if FC Argeș is the surprise of the championship, a very good team that qualified for the play-offs. I congratulate them on this performance.

I think we can make the most of this game and qualify. If we have the same attitude as before, we can surprise FC Argeș as well.

– Alexandru Greab, goalkeeper Gloria Bistrița, according to the cited source